MASON HILL NEWSLETTER

December, 2005 Vol 05. , No. 4

SAFETY ISSUE

INCIDENTS IN MASON HILL. Many of you are aware that there have been a rash of car entries, called “car hoppings,” in the Mount Vernon area in the past month, several of them in Mason Hill.   Generally, but not exclusively, the perpetrators appear to be looking for unlocked cars and, especially, for cars with valuables in them. 

The Mason Hill Citizens Association has been in contact with the Fairfax County Police, Mt. Vernon Station. The Public Safety Officer there emphasized:

- ALWAYS lock you car doors when you are not in your car

- NEVER leave valuables in the car

- PARK in the garage or driveway as much as possible

- LOCK the garage doors to avoid the same individuals accessing cars in unlocked garages (known as “garage hopping”). Applies also when out dog walking or gardening.

- LOCK your house doors

- BE the best observer you can be. If you see something, take in as much detail as you can. It may help the police catch the culprit.

Finally, and perhaps most important, people who DON’T do these things really put the rest of the neighborhood at risk as the thieves are going to come back to neighborhoods where they’ve been successful before.  EVERY instance of this should be reported – at least on-line as described below – so that we create a record of the problem.  Please also report the event to the Citizen Association President or VP for Safety (see Directory) so community action and follow-up can take place.

REPORTING TO THE FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE

The information we have is that you should report all incidents and suspicious activities to the police.

1. DIAL 911 if you have a life threatening emergency, fire or smoke coming from a structure, suspicious noises inside/outside the home, fight or assault, accidents involving injury, armed subjects, or robberies/ burglaries/ carjackings in progress.

2. DIAL 703-691-2131, the non-emergency number, for crimes not in progress, non-injury accidents, suspicious events/ persons/events not causing immediate threat, larceny, noise ordinance violations, animal complaints. The “car hoppings” would apply in this category.

3. ONLINE CRIME REPORTING. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police. Online reporting is for insurance and police information purposes only to assist in preventing future crimes by analyzing trends, times, and locations and to assist in the identification of stolen property. You can not pursue criminal prosecution if using this reporting system; and it can only be used for less serious crimes, such as larcenies less than $5,000 (as in the car break ins). This web site can also be used if you would like to report an inadequate response by police.

PUBLIC SAFETY INFORMATION AVAILABLE. Virginia enacted the “Sex Offender Registry” to provide the citizens of Virginia with information so they can make informed judgments regarding the safety of their children and family members.  The public can access 83 percent of the total number of violent sex offenders via this website www.virginiatrooper.org. 

Day care centers have the capability to access both the violent offenders and sex offenders within their jurisdiction if that facility has signed up to receive Community Notifications. There is no provision in the law that prohibits an offender from to residing next to a school, church or day care facility.

The Virginia State representative for the program discourages individuals from posting signs or brochures in mailboxes etc. Section 9.1-919 of the law states that the information received from the Registry shall provide notice that any unauthorized use of information with the intent to harass or intimidate another is a crime punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor.

PLEASE BE A SAFE DRIVER. As the days grow shorter and the roads more slippery, it is more important than ever to remember that the speed limit in our neighborhood is 25 miles per hour. Many of us walk in the neighborhood and, especially now that it’s dark out, it really is critical that we both adhere to the speed limit and that we come to a full stop at all stop signs. It’s very easy to miss seeing someone. Let’s keep our neighborhood safe and a pleasure to live in.

SHRUBS AND BUSHES. Neighbors are reminded to trim shrubs and bushes that overhang the

sidewalks and streets to avoid personal injury and inconvenience and damage to property.

PAVING SCAM. Police and FBI are advising homeowners to beware of a group of men involved in a driveway paving scam in Northern Virginia and Maryland. The men go door-to-door and are not licensed. Those who have given them money for paving work have found the work incomplete and unsatisfactory. Subsequent attempts to contact the company fail. Many Mason Hill homeowners have had such work done by reputable firms. Contact Judy Branting for names on our “Recommended Merchants” list.

NEXT MASON HILL CITIZENS ASSOCIATION MEETING. The next meeting of the Association will be April 19, 2006. The program will include a presentation by the Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church on its plans for building expansion and run-off control. We will also have an election for new officers. As you can see by this newsletter, the community is contending with issues of importance to us all. We hope you will consider volunteering as an officer and contributing to the safety and well-being of Mason Hill when the call for nominations goes our in the coming year.

DUES. Thanks to all of you who have paid your dues through 2005 and shown your support for your neighborhood and your Board, who pledge to be good stewards of the treasury.  Just a gentle reminder that 2006 dues of $25 will be due beginning January 1. Please send a check payable to MHCA and mail to Nancy de Moraes at 1915 Mason Hill Dr.  If you want to check if you have paid or not (or have any other related question), e-mail Nancy at paudearara@aol.com.

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Questions or remarks to Association President, Judy Branting, JBranting@aol.com, 703-765-6690.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

The Mason Hill Community Association Board of Directors is looking into the possibility of establishing a neighborhood watch program for our community. Following is an overview of the Fairfax County Police Neighborhood Watch Program taken from their web site.

The Fairfax County Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Program was established on October 24, 1979. In 1993 the program was recognized by President Clinton as being one of the oldest and largest in the nation. It encourages community and individual involvement in crime prevention and targets primarily burglaries, larcenies and vandalism in residential areas. The program has three separate but related functions: A formally organized continuing citizen patrol, a comprehensive security inspection of homes, and personal property identification by the residents.

In Fairfax County alone there are over 850 Neighborhood Watch programs with 35,000 volunteers, and participation has risen steadily over the years. In the Camelot community the Neighborhood Watch Program has been in existence for over fifteen years (with five original members still serving) and was honored as a "Point of Light" by President Bush.

Involvement of the Department in a Neighborhood Watch program includes providing training of the Watch coordinator and committee members, maintaining contact with and notifying the coordinator of any crime trends or patterns that may threaten the neighborhood. Meetings with Neighborhood Watch committee members are conducted on a periodic basis to address crime problems and plan strategies. Crime awareness training is provided on an ongoing basis and material resources are provided. District station crime analysts provide monthly crime statistics and point out problem areas in support of the Neighborhood Watch Program.

The Fairfax County Neighborhood Watch Program serves as a model for other programs throughout the country. It is instrumental in bringing police and citizens closer together through an awareness of common and cooperative goals and is largely responsible for the significant decrease in the number of residential burglaries within the County.

The Board is interested in your feedback regarding your interest in having a Neighborhood Watch Program in the Mason Hill community.

Dues

Thanks to all of you who have paid your dues through 2005 and shown your support for your neighborhood and your Board, who pledge to be good stewards of the treasury.  Just a gentle reminder that 2006 dues of $25 will be due beginning January 1.